This complete silence, it was unnerving. I suppose I hadn't ever cared to notice before, that death had a sound. Of course, in a mortal death comes the death rattle, the death moans, but when I took a life, I always thought it to be silent. It was over so quickly. Now, as I look back on the thousands I'd slain, and as I stood in the center of a mass grave of reaped souls, I realize death did have a sound. It was the sound of the soul escaping, the sound of a life's essences breaking free from the prison of mortality. A liberation, as they realized all the stock they'd placed in faith wasn't for nothing. There was a world and a life beyond flesh and bone. I can't put it in to words for there is no earthly sound like it, and though I never truly listened to it before, I quickly realized when it was missing.

Clearing out that war camp, it felt like nothing, and that's exactly what I hated about it. I suppose there was always a part of my subconscious that reasoned out my murders. No matter how many I'd killed, I always knew their spirit would move on. Those who cried over them, they would see their loved ones once again. But, this... The death a demon lord brings is beyond fatal. All that I had taken in their sleep, they will never wake up in this life or the next. They'll never see the glowing light, the shadow of their dead relatives in the distance beckoning them across the bridge. Who the Hell am I to snuff out a person's entire existence? And how did Ricky, my sweet Ricky with all the heart he has, how did he commit these immoral crimes when he hadn't raised his hand once in his past life?

I suppose enough of the right emotion can drive anyone to true madness. Vengeance had taken hold of him back then, and passion was guiding me now. Hell of a couple we make, huh?

The last place I hit was the general's tent. You'd think he would've had more guards awake, but I suppose he couldn't have anticipated an attack from someone like me. Within his tent, I was able to find plenty of information about other war camps along with letters from other leaders regarding future battles. If the others make it this easy for me, it won't be long before I've reached my goal. I understand now why Ville had told me not to go alone, and it had nothing to do with the physical dangers of this country. He worried for my mental health. Given how heated I was when I concocted this plan, I can't say I blame him. However, now that I've finally carved my path, I'm better off walking it alone.

I used supplies in the general's tent to pen Ville a letter. When I returned to the cave in the morning, I handed it over to Justin. "Thank you for your help." I said, "The rest of this, I've got to finish on my own. Take the others back home for me. When you get where you're going, give this letter to the man in charge. He'll make sure you get paid."

"Wait." Ryan interjected, "We didn't go through all this shit just for you to go off like this."

"I have what I need now. The Master needs you now more than I do." I replied.

"And how do you plan to find your way home without Justin?" He asked.

"I'm not going home from here. I'm meeting Ezra in Shimane and he's going to help me with the second phase of the plan."

"Since when?" Ryan snapped.

"Since the beginning." Vinny muttered, "Should'a known he wouldn't stay out of this. Just the kind of man he is." He flashed a grin as he said that. "He told you not to say anything so we wouldn't stress it, didn't he?"

I confirmed his suspicion with a melancholy smile. Honestly, I didn't want to get anyone involved in this mess. Chasing this idiotic idea was my choice, my dangers and burdens to shoulder. Yet they all always have this need to be selfless in their own ways. The night before I'd left, when Ezra had taken me aside to explained he couldn't come to Khar'Zul with us, I'd asked him about the House of Light. I thought if anyone had a chance of knowing, it'd be him. Not only was he painfully familiar, he informed me he'd be taking me there personally and wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise.

It didn't take Ezra but a second to develop a full-fledged plan. While I was busy in this war torn hellscape, he'd travel the long way around to reach Shimane without having to cut through Khar'Zul. We had a time and a place to meet, hence the reason I've been tentative to the clock. If Vinny had known, he would've been too distracted worrying about his big brother traveling all on his own. This would be the first grand mission he'd undergo since receiving that terrible injury last Spring. The night of this whole discussion, Yuu had sat nearby uncharacteristically quiet. I don't think he was nearly as worried. He had unwavering faith in his lover's strength, but he seemed put out over the idea of being apart for months. Given the kind of relationship those two have, I couldn't blame him.

It didn't take too long to reach the country's border. Over the week and a half I spent traveling here, I tore countless souls from soldiers and vagabonds. With each life I snuffed out, I felt my own body and spirit changing. I was falling into a sort of comfort and kinship with the darkness. When I'd passed the halfway point, five hundred souls swallowed, I was beginning to see a different horizon. A battlefield of cored bodies laid in the dirt while the sun was just rising. It looked more orange than usual, bordering on red. It glowed as the moon had during Ashe. The primordial magic that ran through ever demon lord's veins, was this it?

After seven hundred, I felt nothing under the now completely red sun. The lethargy that'd plagued me in daytime had completely vanished. I felt as strong now as I do at night. Finally, after one more war camp and a few thieve guilds throwing themselves at me, I'd reached a thousand souls. It became nothing more than tedious by that point, to say the least.

Shimane was absolutely gorgeous. It's hard to believe a place so clean and thriving bordered a warzone. It was identical to an idealized fairytale version of China. Beautiful traditional oriental buildings and clothing everywhere, vibrant green trees and a sea of brilliant colors. The sun even seemed to shine brighter here, but I couldn't say for certain given the red filter it'd taken on in my vision. You think that'll go away eventually? Yeah, me neither.

The location Ezra had given me was a small temple where monks studied. It wasn't where he'd trained himself, but he seemed comfortable with the location. However, when I reached it, the guard at the door gave me a note Ezra left behind for me. Our rendezvous point had changed. When I saw the place, I could make an educated guess why. It must've been the most luxurious hotel in the entire city, maybe even the country. Towering pillars of gold, velvet and silk drapings of ruby red. I caught the elf's scent and hopped up to his room's balcony.

Behind sliding glass panes painted with roses, there was a free standing tub filled up with bubbles and a little twink. Yuu's hair draped over the back of the tub and his painted toes peaked out from under the mountain of foam. His well manicured hand reached over to a bowl of fresh fruit and plucked a strawberry.

"You're not dead!" He cheered as he noticed me.

I rolled my eyes with a sigh, "Not yet, anyways. Do I even want to know?"

"I told Ezra if he was gonna be gone for so damn long, I'm coming with whether he likes it or not. He kept going on about it being too dangerous and blah blah blah."

"What changed his mind?" I asked.

"Ville offered to pay for the hotel!" Yuu grumbled as he chewed on his strawberry, "Not sure if he was being nice or if he just didn't want another broken heart to deal with."

"He certainly has his hands full." I responded, "Where is Ezra, anyways?"

"Visiting his old teacher to ask her some questions about where you're going. She helped build it and she trains some of the priests there, so she knows lots about it."

I paused for a moment as I processed what he'd said. "The priests there have the same training as Ezra?"

Yuu struggled, "I mean, technically, but so does Vinny and you wouldn't exactly be worried about taking him in a fight, would you?"

I guess he has a point, but Vin's not exactly the best example. True that Ezra has this whole gifted child/special chosen one thing going for him, but that doesn't mean his teacher's other students were as far behind him as Vinny was. Damn it, priests really had to find a way to become even more annoying here than they are on Earth.

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a/n

sorry for the filler chapter, but i didn't want to go freaking forever without updating. the next chapter will be super long and i'm going to try to get it out by halloween <3

also im still thinking about the cottagecore comment from last chapter someone put it on my tombstone